


Bruises

by Hollowgayle



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, Massage, after-training cuddles, catra is stupidly into adora and doesn't know what that means, clueless pining, or even what it is, or how to deal with it!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-27 10:04:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18736849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hollowgayle/pseuds/Hollowgayle
Summary: She’s not the best at protecting Adora; Often, it’s the other way around. But in the aftermath, she knows her place is certain, and so, so gentle.OR:May I request some Catradora post training cuddles? Maybe some massages are given as well for sore muscles? (Yes you may, but you're gonna have to knuckle through the angst if you want the sweet.)





	Bruises

Silence hangs heavy in the locker room for once, broken only occasionally by a whimper or two. No one knows who they’re coming from, and no one cares - It could be any of them.

Today, Shadow Weaver had finally lifted the inhibitors on their drills.

It had been at their own insistence, but that didn’t make it any less an act of vindictive bitterness. They were ready. They were sure of it. They were. The four cadets jump a bit at the sound of one of the distant showers shutting off, freezing for just a moment before the sound registers.

So much for that.

“She knew.”

Catra is the one who breaks the silence, a final whimper from Kyle as an equally bruised Rogelio gently tends to his wounds the final straw. She can’t listen to any more quiet. Not after the roar that had filled her ears for the past hour or so. How many hours had it been? Does it even matter? All eyes are on her as she falls silent for a moment more before leaping to her feet, wincing, and tail thrashing behind her.

“She  _knew_ , don’t you get it? She knew we couldn’t do it.” Catra clenches her fists as her voice cracks, not too hard. There are wounds there too, from her claws, as often there are. She had just finished licking them clean. She doesn’t want to agitate them, but agitated does not begin to describe her. “She just wanted to watch us fail. She wanted to watch us get hurt, to prove a point. What kind of person  _does_  that?”

More silence meets her as she looks between them, ears flat with distress. Lonnie. Kyle. Rogelio. Where was-

“She just wants us to get better.”

Adora’s words are tired and hoarse, quiet and unsure for a change as she emerges from the showers and looks at her fellow cadets. Beat up, but… Of course. Of course she’s not bleeding, of course she’s just bruised, of course. It’s Adora. Of course. There’s a moment of blinding resentment then where Catra wants to claw her. Wants to make her bleed. Adora must think she’s so much better than all of them.

“But… But it wasn’t fair. I’m sorry.”

The rage flickers out as Adora limps over to the rest of her team, laying out her uniform to get dressed and adjusting her towel. Catra’s tail sags, its lashing forgotten, and she swallows, dry, raspy tongue sticking to the back of her throat as she slinks closer to Adora, tentatively placing a hand on her shoulder. Guilt is eating her now. Adora flinches, as though the touch is painful – She’s hurt too, Catra realizes. She just doesn’t want them to see it.

“Hey, Adora.” A pause. Those words sound like forgiveness, whether Catra meant them to or not. “Are you okay?”

“The showers are open if you want them. They feel nice, just… Remember the water.” Adora glances back at her, down at her hand, and Catra freezes, ears still flat.

She can take a hint. Later. They’ll talk about this later, like everything else in their lives, and she lets that hand slide off Adora’s shoulder, brows knit together.

She’s starting to wonder if the rest of her life with Adora is going to be spent later, too.

 

* * *

 

 

Later comes, as it always does, in the late hours of the night. In the early hours of the morning.

“Why did you let her do that?”

 _To us? To me?_  The words are whispered from above, and they tingle in Adora’s ears. It’s like she can hear what’s missing from their ends. Of course Catra is still awake. Adora is still awake, and when was the last time either fell asleep without the other?

“I couldn’t exactly stop her,” Adora spits out anxiously at last, glancing off to the side of her bunk. Even from down here, she feels like Catra’s eyes are drilling into her. She rolls over, and sure enough, there they are- Those bright, mismatched eyes are peering over the edge of her bed at her, and Adora lets her arm hang off, brushing the floor. “It’s not like I didn’t get hurt too. I’m trying my best, Catra, can’t you… Can’t you see that? I’m trying to do what’s best for all of us.”

“And since when do you get to decide what’s best for all of us?”

There is a quiet thump as Catra lands gracefully across from her, the soft pads of her feet muffling her jump. Adora looks up from where she has buried her face in her pillow, and meets that mismatched gaze with a sigh. Catra doesn’t seem angry. That’s a relief. Adora feels like she could cry. It’s not a relief from that.

“I don’t.” That’s all Catra had wanted to hear, but Adora continues. “I should have done better, but I didn’t. I- I  _failed_ , and everyone got hurt.”

Catra picks at a claw, finally glancing up at Adora. “We all failed,” she replies with a bit of a sigh, sounding about as comforting as she can get without completely lowering those walls of hers. But she’s relenting, and she scoots closer to Adora, reaching out to run a clawed hand through the other’s wild blonde hair. After this much tossing and turning, it’s not too far removed from Catra’s mane. “She wanted us to fail. To prove a point, or whatever. She wanted all of us to get hurt.” Adora closes her eyes, and lets out a long breath through her nose. Catra contemplates, still gently scratching the other’s head.

“Are you okay?”

That’s what Adora’s going to ask? Really?

“Yeah, Adora. I’m okay,” she replies softly, watching her friend with intent. “What about you?”

“I’m okay… Sore though.”

There’s the smile Catra knows as Adora opens her eyes slowly, peering over at her. It sneaks onto her face like a secret, something for just them, and Catra rolls her eyes, feeling it infect her too. Such a little thing. A smile. Adora feels her face heat up as Catra grins begrudgingly, all fangs, before speaking.

“And I guess you want me to do something about that, huh?”

Of course she does. Adora scoots over, and Catra leaps up onto her bunk from the floor, leaning in to press her forehead to Adora’s shoulder briefly. She can’t think of anything smart to say, so she doesn’t say anything at all, running her hand down Adora’s back and making a soft sound in the back of her throat. Adora flinches – Catra pauses.

“...That bad?”

A little nod and a grunt from beneath her. Catra sighs. Her whole body is aching too – But Adora. Adora is the best of them. She was right. This  _wasn’t_  fair. She leans down again to bury her nose in Adora’s hair and nuzzle her gently as firm hands run up and down the other’s back. It has been a  _very_  long time since they’ve done this.

She reacquaints herself.

The muscles along Adora’s sides that twitch when she squeezes them. The goosebumps that rise under her fingertips when she digs her thumbs in and traces along either side of her friend’s spine; She can see them crawling up the back of Adora’s neck past the neckline of her shirt when she leans back to look at her. And her shoulders, of course her shoulders. Catra bites her lip, fangs digging in ever so slightly as her hands hover anxiously, a hair’s breadth away from touching. She must linger a second too long.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just thinking.”

Another pause, Adora’s curiosity clearly growing into something bordering on amusement the longer she isn’t touched. Catra doesn’t even know what’s taking so long. All she knows is that her mouth is dry, and Adora’s voice is muffled as she speaks through her pillow, still face down.

“About…?”

Nothing. Thinking about nothing. Catra feels her face heat up along with the rest of her (she is unreasonably hot) and shakes her head quickly, letting out a noncommittal grunt as she leans back in to knead Adora’s shoulders. It gets a sigh out of the other girl, a delicious noise that makes the fur along Catra’s spine stand up, but Adora doesn’t do it again. So she continues, until Adora’s shoulders join the rest of her and the very last of her tension melts away in Catra’s palms. Her claws prick through the other’s clothes, ever so gently, to let her know that she’s done – Adora giggles and squirms away, but gasps as a sore rib protests the motion – And Catra sits back, letting her roll over.

“Hey,” Adora says sleepily with a grin, and Catra settles back down to straddling her waist. “You did really good out there. I’m sorry all this happened, it… It wasn’t your fault, and we didn’t deserve it.”

Oh.  _Those_  are the words she’d wanted to hear. She hadn’t known until she’d heard them, and she feels her face get hotter as she glances off to Lonnie sleeping beside them.

“Yeah, well… It’s okay. We’ll do better next time.”

“Of course we will,” Adora says, and Catra nearly jumps out of her own skin when she feels her hands on her stomach. Her whole body is on fire. “Do you want me to return the favor?”

“No!” The word tumbles out in a panic, her voice squeaking a bit, and Adora looks surprised. Catra gulps and glances down at her. “I… I mean no. No thanks, I… I don’t feel so good. I think I’d rather just lay down.”

She can’t stomach the thought of Adora’s hands on her any more than they already are. She can’t think of them higher, or lower, or on her back, or anywhere. The thought makes everything feel too tight and too close, and Catra has no idea why. She isn’t keen to find out. Adora lifts her hands in surrender, and a brow as well, confused but not protesting.

“Alright. We’ll just sleep then. You can stay here if you want?”

That sounds like a deal. Catra nods hesitantly, not taking her eyes off Adora, and slips off to her side, a soft, tentative purr rumbling in her as she presses her forehead to the other’s chest. A strong arm loops around her waist.

Better. Much better. Her ears tremble for a moment before going flat in relaxed contentment, and she tucks her face against the other’s neck.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you today.”

Adora doesn’t answer. Catra’s tail flicks.

“I’ll do better tomorrow.”

Still nothing, but the arm around her waist squeezes, and she feels another one pull the blankets up over them – Adora grunts with the exertion of it, exhausted body protesting. Catra feels a gentle scratch behind one of her ears, and sighs softly, pressing closer.

“You don’t have to protect me, Catra. Let’s just protect each other, okay?”

There it is. The feline nods, the last of the tension leaving her as the warmth of Adora’s breath ghosts between her ears. “Okay,” she whispers, and knows tomorrow will bring more of the same, but more of this, too.

Maybe a few bruises are worth it, in the end.

**Author's Note:**

> This is crossposted to tumblr [here!](https://lesbianmagicat.tumblr.com/post/184698227019/hello-may-i-request-some-catradora-post) I had a really good time with this one and I'm currently accepting requests. As always, if you like my work and you have the spare change, feel free to drop me a tip on my ko-fi. It's by no means necessary but IS appreciated, and all tips go right to helping fund visits to my girlfriend!


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